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