Chocolate fudge

Ingredients
100g plain chocolate
200g icing sugar
50g butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Line a square/rectangle baking tin (about 20 cm) with greaseproof paper

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of boiling water then stir in the golden syrup and vanilla essence.

3. Stir in half of the icing sugar until dissolved then stir in the rest

4. While the mixture is still hot and soft, put it into the tin and press down to fill up to the edges and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon

5. Leave to cool, when hardened break up into pieces or cut into small squares

Cheese and cranberry twists

Ingredients
2 sheets of puff pastry
feta cheese
cranberry sauce

1. Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F / gas 7. Grease a baking tray

2. Spread the cranberry sauce thinly onto one puff pastry sheet. Crumble the cheese over

3. Lay the other sheet on top and press down

4. Cut out strips and lightly twist them

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes and leave to cool on a wire rack

Turkey pasta

Ingredients
500g turkey mince
300g pasta
1 onion, chopped
440g tomato pasta sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
dried oregano and thyme
fresh basil

1. Boil pasta until cooked. Fry mince and onion

2. Add the garlic and dried herbs to the mince, then stir in the sauce

3. Add the pasta and stir.

4. Serve with fresh basil

Serves 4

Mince and dumplings

Ingredients
500g minced beef
1 onion, chopped
1 tin of tomatoes
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 beef stock cube
1 tsp garlic powder

For dumplings:
100g self raising flour
pinch of salt
pinch of mustard powder
1 tsp dried herbs (I used oregano and basil)
1 egg, beaten
10g butter
2 tbsp milk

1. Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F / gas 7. Grease a baking tray

2. Fry the mince and onions until the mince is brown and the onions are soft. Transfer to a large pan

3. Add tomatoes, stock cube, worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Stir well

4. Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat

5. While the mince mixture is cooking mix the flour, salt, mustard powder and herbs

6. Then add the butter, egg and milk and mix into a dough

7. Shape into balls and bake for 15 minutes

8. Place dumplings on top of mince mixture in the pan and cook for another 5 minutes then serve

Serves 4

Cheese and bacon quiche

Ingredients
savoury pastry case
4 slices smoked bacon, chopped
70g cheddar cheese, grated
150ml single cream
2 medium eggs
dried thyme


1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas 6

2. Fry the bacon

3. Beat the eggs, add the single cream and mix

4. Place bacon and cheese in the pastry case. Pour over the egg and cream mixture

5. Sprinkle dried thyme over the top

6. Bake for 20-25 mins

Tomato and mascarpone gnocchi bake

Ingredients
500g gnocchi
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1tbsp tomato puree
250g mascarpone
50g parmesan
Basil
Oregano

1. Boil the gnocchi according to instructions on pack then drain

2. Pour over the tomatos and tomato puree and stir

3. Add the mascarpone, parmesan and herbs. Stir

4. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and bake for 10 minutes

Serves 4

Sausage and bean hotpot

Ingredients
8 sausages
1 chicken stock cube
200ml water
1 tin of baked beans
Cheddar cheese, grated

1. Fry the sausages until cooked

2. Dissolve stock cube in water and boil. Pour the hot stock over the sausages

3. Stir in the baked beans and cook for 5 minutes until heated through

4. Serve with grated cheese scattered on top

Serves 4

Cheese and bacon pasta bake

Ingredients
200g pasta, boiled
200g smoked bacon, chopped
4 eggs
200ml creme fraiche
100g mature cheddar

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas 4 and grease a baking tin / dish

2. Fry the bacon until crisp. Put bacon and pasta into tin

3. Beat the eggs and creme fraiche together and add the cheese. Stir.

4. Pour mixture over the past and bacon in the tin and stir

5. Bake for 40-45 minutes

Serves 4

Corned beef and potato pie

Ingredients
225g plain flour
50g butter
50g lard
30ml water
pinch of salt
340g tin of corned beef
300g potatoes, boiled

1. To make the pastry mix flour and salt then rub in the fat to make breadcrumbs. Add cold water and mix into a stiff dough.

2. Preheat oven to 190°C / 370°F / gas 5. Grease a 20cm / 8 inch ovenproof plate

3. Divide pastry in half and roll out. Line the plate with one half.

4. Mash potato and corned beef together and place it in the pie.

5. Wet edges of pastry and cover the pie with the other half of the pastry. Seal edges

6. Brush with egg or milk and bake for 35-40 minutes

Chicken and mascarpone wrapped in ham

Ingredients
Chicken breast
2 tbsp mascarpone
Rosemary, chopped or dried
2-4 slices of ham
1 tsp lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas 6

2. Mix the rosemary into the mascarpone and season

3. Cut a slit in the chicken and put the mascarpone inside

4. Tightly wrap the slices of ham around the chicken until it is all covered

5. Wrap in tin foil and bake for 25 minutes until cooked through

6. Pour lemon juice over and serve

Turkey burgers

Ingredients
500g turkey mince
1 small onion, chopped
50g fresh breadcrumbs (about 2 slices of bread)
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp sage
4 large bread buns

1. Fry the onion until soft

2. Mix together the mince, onion, breadcrumbs and herbs

3. Shape into 4 burgers and chill for 30 minutes

4. Grill the burgers for about 10 minutes each side until cooked all the way through

5. Serve in bread buns

Serves 4

Mince pasta bake

Ingredients

400g minced beef

300g pasta (any shape)

1 onion, sliced

4 tbsp tomato puree

1 beef stock cube

300ml water

1 mozzarella ball, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas 4

2. Fry the mince and onions until the mince is brown and onions are soft. Stir in tomato puree

3. Place mince, onions and dry pasta in a baking tin

4. Dissolve stock cube in water and pour over the other ingredients in the tin

5. Scatter the mozzarella over the top and bake for 30 minutes

Serves 4

Tomato risotto

Ingredients
300g risotto rice
1tsp olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube
900ml water
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1tbsp tomato puree
120g soft cheese
basil

1. Dissolve stock cube in water and bring to the boil. Keep hot

2. Heat oil in pan, add rice and cook for 2 minutes

3. Pour 1 ladleful of hot stock over the rice. When this has absorbed, stir and add another ladleful of stock. Keep doing this until all stock is absorbed

4. Add tomatoes and tomato puree and stir well.

5. Remove from heat and stir in the soft cheese

6. Garnish with basil leaves and serve immediatley

Serves 4

Salmon with mozzarella and herb crust

Ingredients
1 salmon fillet
30g mozzarella, cubed or sliced
25g breadcumbs
1tbsp dried herbs (I used dill and parsley)
2tsp olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas 6

2. Wrap salmon in tin foil and bake for 15 minutes

3. While salmon is cooking, mix herbs with breadcrumbs, add olive oil and stir well

4. Put mozzarella on top of the salmon and then the breadcrumb mixture

5. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until breadcrumbs have browned

Serves 1

Mediterranean eggs

Ingredients
200g potatoes (chopped into small cubes)
2 slices bacon
250g tomato pasta sauce
2 eggs
half an onion
tomotoes and red peppers
basil

1. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes until soft. Drain

2. Fry the bacon, onion, tomatoes and peppers for 5 minutes then add the potatoes

3. Add the pasta sauce and herbs and stir well.

4. Make a hole in the middle of the mixture and crack 2 eggs into the hole

5. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes until eggs are cooked

Serves 1

Chocolate cheesecake

Ingredients

200g digestive biscuits (crushed into crumbs)

2 tbsp cocoa powder

150g butter

900g soft cheese

4 eggs

200g milk chocolate

200g sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven to 150°C / 300°F / gas 2. Grease a loose bottomed tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper

2. Melt butter. In a bowl, mix biscuit crumbs and cocoa powder together then add the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the tin

3. Mix the soft cheese, sugar and vanilla essence then add the eggs and mix, one at a time. 

4. Melt the chocolate then add the cheese mixture slowly and mix

5. Put the cheese/chocolate mixture into the tin on top of the base and bake for 40 minutes or until set (should still be a bit soft in the middle)

6. Leave to cool then refridgerate for 12 hours. Decorate as desired

Salad nicoise

Ingredients
50g tuna (drained)
Lettuce
4 small potatoes
2 eggs
15ml olive oil
5ml vinegar
Parsley
Chives

1. boil potatoes for 15 minutes. Boil the eggs

2. Put potatoes, lettuce, tuna, totmatoes, parsley and chives in a bowl

3. Mix olive oil and vinegar together and pour over the ingredients in the bowl. Mix well

4. Peel eggs, cut in half and place on top of the rest of the ingredients

Serves 1

Prawn risotto

Ingredients
75g risotto rice
1 vegetable stock cube
200ml water
1tbsp olive oil
25g butter
60g frozen (cooked and peeled) prawns
1 small onion
parsley
dill
parmesan

1. Put stock cube in water and boil.

2. Heat butter and oil in a pan and fry the onions until soft. Add the rice

3. Pour stock over rice and cook until all liquid is absorbed

4. Add the prawns and cook for 10 minutes, stirring

5. Sprinkle with herbs and parmesan, stir and serve

Serves 1

Chicken caesar salad

Ingredients
1 chicken breast, cut into chunks
6-8 leaves of lettuce, washed
2 slices white bread, torn into chunks
50g cheddar cheese, grated
caeser dressing

1. Fry the chicken, when half done add the bread (put more butter in the pan before adding the bread to stop it from burning)

2. Put the lettuce and cheese into a large bowl, add the chicken and bread when cooked

3. Pour the salad dressing over and mix well. Serve

Serves 1

Cheese scones

Ingredients

500g plain flour

1tbsp baking powder

1tsp mustard powder

pinch of salt

60g butter

100g cheddar cheese (grated)

1 egg

200ml milk

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas 6

2. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and mustard powder in a bowl

3. Add butter and rub in to make bread crumbs. Add the cheese and stir in

4. Beat the egg and milk together and add to the mixture

5. Stir and knead to make a dough

6. Roll out to about 2 cm thick and cut out circles

7. Place on a greased baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes 

Cheesy leek and ham bake

Ingredients
1 small leek (cut in half)
4 slices ham
100ml creme fraiche
30g parmesan
breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas 6

2. Boil the leeks in a shallow pan for 5 minutes until soft. Remove from water

3. Wrap each leek in 2 slices of ham and place in a small baking tin

4. Mix creme fraiche with 50ml of the water reserved from the leeks, stir in the parmesan and bread crumbs

5. Pour over the leeks in the tin and bake for 15 minutes

Serves 1

Cheese biscuits

Ingredients
100g self raising flour
75g cheese (mature cheddar etc)
50g butter
pinch of salt
1tsp mustard powder
1 egg (beaten)

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas 4

2. Mix flour, salt and mustard poweder

3. Add butter and mix to make breadcrumbs. Add cheese

4. Add egg and mix to make dough

5. Roll out to about 5mm thick and cut out circles

6. Place on a greased baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes

Vol-au-vents

1. Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F / gas 6

2. Roll out a block of puff pastry to about 1cm thick (or use ready rolled pastry)

3. Cut out circles (about 6 cm diameter), then make a smaller circle inside (but dont cut all the way through) and prick holes in the middle circle with a fork

4. Place on a greased baking tray and brush with beaten egg or milk

5. Bake for about 10-15 minutes until the pastry has risen

6. Leave to cool then push the middles down to make a hole. Fill the holes with soft cheese

Bacon spaghetti with pea sauce

Ingredients

300g spaghetti

8 slices of bacon (preferably smoked)

1 vegetable stock cube

2 tbsp olive oil

100g frozen peas

2 tsp dried mint

mozzarella ball (chopped into small cubes)

1. Cook spaghetti and peas in boiling water until cooked

2. Pour 200ml of the boiling water over the stock and mix. Add the peas and crush. Add the mint and oil

3. Drain the rest of the water off the spaghetti and pour the pea sauce over it. Mix

4. Add mozzarella cubes, stir, and serve

Serves 4

Kedgeree

Ingredients
75g rice
1 white fish fillet, cut into small chunks
30g cooked prawns (optional)
1 vegetable stock cube
1 egg, hard boiled and peeled
chopped parsley

1. Fry the fish for 5 minutes then add the prawns

2. Dissolve stock cube in 200ml water, pour over the fish and bring to boil

3. Add the rice and cook until water (stock) has soaked up

4. Mash the egg in a bowl and add to the other ingredients. Add the parsley and mix

Serves 1

Ham and leek quiche

Ingredients
savoury pastry case
75g ham, chopped
1 leek (white part), chopped
150ml single cream
2 medium eggs
chopped fresh parsley
dried thyme
70 g cheddar cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas 6

2. Fry the leeks in butter until soft

3. Beat the eggs, add the single cream and mix

4. Place ham, leeks and parsley in the pastry case. Pour over the egg and cream mixture

5. Sprinkle cheese over the top and some dried thyme

6. Bake for 20-25 mins

Chicken and chorizo pasta

Ingredients
1 chicken breast cut into chunks
a few slices of chorizo cut into smaller pieces
75g pasta
2 large tomatoes (or 4 small one), chopped
400ml water
chicken stock cube
rosemary, thyme and sage

1. Fry the chicken and chorizo in oil, then add the chopped tomatoes and stir until the meat is cooked and the tomatoes are mushy

2. Dissolve the stock cube in the water and pour into the pan

3. Add the pasta and cook until all of the liquid has soaked into the pasta / boiled off

4. Add the herbs and stir in

Easter chocolate cakes

Ingredients
75g self raising flour
25g cocoa powder
100g sugar
100g butter
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas 4

2. Beat margerine and sugar together then add the eggs and beat in, one at a time

3. Add flour and cocoa powder and mix.

4. Put mixture into paper cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes

5. When cooled, decorate with icing rolled into egg shapes.

Fish and tomato couscous

Ingredients
1 fillet of white fish (I used pollock) cut into chunks
50g couscous (dry, uncooked)
1 vegetable stock cube
400ml water
4 tbsp tomato puree
parsley, chopped
50g parmesan, grated

1. Fry the fish in oil and season with salt/pepper

2. Dissolve stock cube in water and bring to the boil. Add the couscous and cook until the water is soaked up

3. Stir tomato puree into the couscous. Add the fish, parmesan and parsley and stir

4. Serve

Serves 1

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
225g self raising flour
100g sugar
100g butter
1 egg (beaten)
a few drops vanilla essence
100g plain chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / gas 4

2. Mix flour, sugar and butter to make breadcrumbs

3. Add vanilla essence, egg and chocolate chips and mix to make a dough

4. Pull off small balls of the dough and make rough cookie shapes

5. Place on a greased baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes

Bacon wrapped chicken with scrambled eggs and tomatos

Ingredients

1 chicken breast

3 slices of bacon

soft cheese

mixed herbs (I used chives, parsley and sage)

tomatoes

2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F / gas 7

2. Cut a slit in the chicken and fill with cheese and herbs. Wrap the bacon slices around the chicken

3. Wrap in tin foil and bake for 30 minutes

4. While the chicken is cooking, chop the tomatoes into chunks. Fry and stir until mushy then add eggs and stir until set

Serves 1

Sausage with onion and cranberry gravy

Ingredients
3 sausages (I chopped mine in half to make more small sausages)
150ml chicken stock
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons cranberry sauce

1. Fry the onions and sausages for about 10 minutes until sausage is brown and onion is soft

2. Pour the stock over the sausage and onions and boil for about 3 minutes

3. Stir in the cranberry sauce and boil for another 3 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken

Serves 1. I served mine with roast potatos

Baked Egg

Ingredients

1 egg

about a tablespoon of milk

cheddar cheese (grated)

dried chives

1. Preheat oven to 200 °C / 400 °F / gas mark 6 and grease the inside of a ramekin dish

2. Crack an egg into the dish and season with salt and pepper

3. Add the milk then scatter most of the grated cheese on top

4. Place dish in a baking tin and fill the tin with water to halfway up the side of the dish

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the egg is cooked

6. Sprinkle the chives over the top and then the rest of the grated cheese

Fish topped with Egg and Cheese

Ingredients

1 white fish fillet 

olive oil

dried parsley

1 egg

cheddar cheese (grated)

1. Preheat oven to 200 °C / 400 °F / gas mark 6

2. Brush the fish with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and parsley and wrap in foil.

3. Place on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes

4. Remove from oven, open parcel an crack an egg on top. Leave foil open and bake for another 15 minutes or longer if the egg has not set

5. Transfer fish from foil parcel to a plate and sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve with chips

Baked Potato with sour cream and cheese filling



1. Preheat oven to 200 °C / 400 °F / gas mark 6

2. Wash a large baking potato and remove any bad bits

3. Stab it all over with a fork (to let the steam out so it doesn't explode) then brush the skin with oil

4. Wrap loosely in tinfoil, leaving a hole at the top and bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes, until soft all the way through

5. Mix some sour cream, cheese and chives together for the filling and add when cooked