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Marmalade and Mustard Glaze

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Enjoy this progress shot of our dinner tonight! I wanted to spruce up this pork loin using what I had in the fridge and boy, did I!  Super easy marmalade glaze is as follows -  4-5 tbsp marmalade  1-2 tbsp wholegrain mustard  2 tsp brown sugar Dash of water Give a good mix and re apply the glaze every 20-30 mins of cooking.  For this particular joint, it was 1.5kg and I cooked for around 2-2½ hours at 180⁰c(160⁰c fan). Basically until the centre was proving around 75⁰c or above!  I chucked some baby potatoes to cook along side the pork to really enhance their flavour. I will be serving with green beans tonight! 

Spiced Chicken Drumsticks with Roasted Sweet Potato & Stuffed Peppers

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Bit of a fancier dinner this evening, but with nice and cheap ingredients. The flavour really comes through on this one and we thoroughly enjoyed it!  I opted for olive oil in these recipes; however, normal oil like veg or sunflower will work just as well! I just had this to hand!  I've separated this recipe individually, so you can pick and choose what you'd like to make!  Spiced Chicken Drumsticks Ingredients   Pack of chicken drumsticks 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp cumin ½ tsp mixed herbs ½ tsp garlic granules  Grinding of black pepper Juice of ½ a lemon or lime (I use the bottles from supermarkets)  Optional: ½ tsp honey for a touch of sweetness (only if littles are over 1) How to do  Preheat oven to 200°C Mix olive oil, paprika, cumin, mixed herbs, garlic granules, pepper and lemon/ lime juice in a bowl. Coat the chicken drumsticks in the spice mix and marinate for 15-30 minutes (or longer if possible, I did it for a cou...

Vegan Burger Buns

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I realised I had burgers the other day, but nothing to eat them in. With limited ingredients, I whipped up these vegan burger buns.  I used warm water in mine instead of warmed plant based milk, as that's all I had! I just opted to add an additional 5ml of olive oil to the mix!  This recipe yields 4 burger buns, perfect for smaller families without having to grab a cook book and do pesky maths!  Ingredients 200g strong white bread flour 10g sugar 4g instant yeast 120ml warm plant-based milk (e.g., soy, oat, or almond) or warm water 15g olive oil 5g apple cider vinegar For the topping (optional): 10ml plant-based milk (for brushing) Sesame seeds or poppy seeds How to do  In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and yeast. Make a well in the center and pour in the warm plant milk/ water, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Mix until a sticky dough forms. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 8–10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elast...

Upsidedown Fish Pie

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This upsidedown fish pie was absolutely lush! With a garlic and parsley mash topped with creamy fishy goodness.  I actually don't currently own a freezer, hence why I've opted for tinned peas. This can easily be substituted for a few handfuls of frozen peas. So I opted to use some fresh parsley after it was substituted onto my food shop. If you don't have any, the dried stuff will do fine or something mixed herbs! Opt for 2 tsp.  I didn't add any cheese to this recipe, but you're more than welcome too!  Ingredients  Fish pie Oil 1 head of garlic 2/3 sticks of celery 1 onion 3 carrots 1 tin of peas (frozen also works)  1 Tbsp Plain flour  Handful of parsley 1 vegetarian/ chicken stock cube (low salt) 600ml milk 1 pack of frozen fish fillets  Mash  2-3 potatoes  Parsley 1 tbsp butter  Dash of milk How to do You want to preheat the oven to around 180⁰c, cut the top off the garlic head, drizzle with some oil and wrap in tinfoil. ...

Fresh Tomato Sauce

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I had some salad tomatoes in my fridge which were looking particularly sad. Same goes with the basil. What better than to use these sad looking veg to muster something up!  This is quite similar to my universal tomato sauce, if you only have Passata or chopped tomatoes to hand, check out that one!  I made this tomato sauce with what I had in the kitchen. I put 4 salad tomatoes in the recipe as that's all I had. Saying that, I know they come in packs of 6 and 6 would also work!  I used a stick blender in this recipe. If you're unable to blend, I recommend reducing the tomatoes for longer and dicing the onions.  To serve to my little lady, I paired this sauce with some orzo and mozzarella!  Ingredients  1 onion  4 salad tomatoes 1 tbsp tomato puree 2-3 garlic cloves  Handful of spinach Handful of fresh basil Grinding of black pepper  How to do Half and slice the onion nice and thin, pop in a saucepan with a little oil on a low heat ...

Cheats Curry and Saag Aloo

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I don't know if this can technically be called saag aloo, but it's spiced potatoes and spinach and slightly resembles it!  I call this my cheat Curry, because it's so easy to make! Minimal ingredients for great flavour. Some recipe notes!  If using bone and skin chicken thighs, de skin them but leave the bones in! This will add to the flavour  This can absolutely be done in a slow cooker, whack on high for around 4 hours or low for about 6, until the chicken is probing above 75⁰c This can also be made vegetarian by swapping the chicken for cauliflower and chicken stock for vegetable stock! To serve for my little lady, I thoroughly mashed the saag aloo and shredded some chicken. I served with basmati rice.  Ingredients  Curry - Chicken thighs (I used 1kg) 150g ground almonds 1 onion 400-600ml chicken stock 2 tbsp curry powder (I used mild) Saag aloo - 3 potatoes Bag of spinach  1 tsp curry powder  1 tsp tumeric  Chilli + coriander (opti...

Tortilla Quiche

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What a hack right?! Tortilla quiche! This took me all in all about 30 minutes to make from popping the bacon in to serving.  My little lady also LOVED it! The fillings are incherchangeable, just keep to the egg, milk and cheese base measurements. Fancy broccoli and stilton? Chuck them in there. Fancy a more cheesy quiche? Try 100g of cheese!  Ingredients  3 large broccoli florets  3 bacon rashers ( I used streaky)  4 large eggs Dash of milk  50g grated cheese  1 tortilla  Grinding of black pepper How to do Preheat the oven to 180⁰c fan (200⁰c) Pre cook the bacon.  In a bowl, crack 4 eggs, measure the amount they weigh and add milk to bring the total to 250g. (I used 4 large eggs and around 20ml of milk)  Chop the dark green bits off the broccoli florets into the bowl, add cheese. Dice the bacon once cooked and chuck in. Give a good whisk, season with black pepper. Using a 20cm cake tin, line with a tortilla, pour in the mixtu...

Chicken Broth with Dumplings

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This fridge raid chicken broth is absolutely fantastic at using up what ever veg you have in your fridge! Literally whack it all in! A good base of this would be carrots, celery and onions. But honestly, experiment! Below is what I used for this particular one. But think of it more as guidelines than laws!  And the bread dumplings, so easy to make yet so delicious!  The Italian seasoning in this recipe can be switched for mixed herbs. To serve to my little lady, I mashed the veg into a lumpy paste, shredded the chicken, sliced the dumplings into cubes and served with a little broth in the bottom of her bowl.  Ensure your chicken is fully cooked at the end by probing it, it should reach 75⁰c or higher. If it's still not cooked, leave it for an additional 10 minutes.  Ingredients  Broth 3/4 large carrots Bunch of spring onions  1 head of broccoli  1ltr low salt chicken stock 2 tsp Italian herbs 2 bay leaves  Chicken thighs (I used 1kg)...

Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

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Quick, cheap and easy! This broccoli and cauliflower soup definitely hits the spot for a light meal or lunch!  Perfect as is or with some croutons for a little more filling meal.  I used a stick blender in this recipe to create a smooth-ish soup. Ingredients  2 medium/ large potatoes 1 bag of broccoli and cauliflower heads (alternatively, 1 small head of broccoli and cauliflower or 1/2 a medium to large ones) 1 Low salt veg stock cube 1 tsp garlic puree or 2 garlic cloves  1 ltr of boiled water Grinding of black pepper Handful of grated cheese How to do Prep the veg by removing the cauliflower and broccoli from the stalks, peeling and chopping the potatoes into 1cm cubes.  Chuck into a deep saucepan along with the garlic cloves/ puree (leave whole if using cloves), stock cube, water and a good grinding of black pepper.  Give a little mix and simmer on a medium heat for around 20 minutes, until the veg and potatoes are tender. Remove from the hea...

Herby Courgette Tarts

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Whip up these herby courgette tarts for a deliciously light and versatile meal! Perfect for using up leftover mascarpone from the cheese twists, they’re bursting with flavor and can be paired with new potatoes and veg for a satisfying lunch or dinner. I took these as a snack for a walk yesterday and they did the job!   These tarts are also great for weaning—just ensure any nuts are crushed to a fine crumb or skip them entirely for little ones. Cut the tarts into finger width strips to serve to littles! A simple yet tasty way to enjoy wholesome ingredients! Ingredients  1 Courgette  10 plumb tomatoes  1/2 tub Mascapone  1 tsp garlic pepper 1 tsp Italian/ mixed herbs  1 roll pre made puff pastry Handful of Hazelnuts (pine nuts or almonds/ ground almonds also work well!) Handful of grated cheese  2 tbsp oil  How to do Preheat the oven to 200⁰c and remove the puff pastry from the fridge.  Thinly slice the courgette into wafer thi...

Fakeaway Prawn Toast

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Treat your little one to a weaning-friendly version of a takeaway classic with this prawn toast! Perfect for babies 9 months and up and adults!! It's packed with flavor, made with simple, wholesome ingredients, and easy for little hands to hold and enjoy. A fun, nutritious twist on a family favorite! To serve to my baby, I cut the crusts off and sliced into finger width strips.  This recipe requires a food processor/ chopper Ingredients  1 packet of raw prawns (mine was 150g) 1 tsp garlic + ginger paste  1 egg white 2 tsp low salt soy sauce  2-3 slices of bread  50g sesame seeds Vegetable or sunflower oil for frying How to do Pop the prawns, garlic + ginger, egg white and soy sauce in a food processor and blitz until paste like. Spread this prawn paste on top of bread in an even layer. Coat with sesame seeds, you can do this by pouring on top and rubbing in or dipping the bread into a plate of sesame seeds prawn side down.   Heat a frying p...

Almond Eggy Bread

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Quick, easy and super yummy. This sweet take on eggy bread is filling and a brilliant way to start your day!  To serve to my 9 month old, I de-crusted the bread and cut into strips, served with greek yoghurt and mashed strawberries.  Ingredients  2 slices of bread 2 eggs 1 tbsp ground almonds  2 tsp almond extract A little oil for frying  To serve Fruit + greek yoghurt  How to do Heat a frying pan with a little oil on a medium heat. Mix the almond ingredients and eggs in a deep plate or container, dip the bread in both sides, allowing to really soak up the eggy mix.  Pop in the frying pan for 2-3 minutes each side.  Serve with fruit and greek yoghurt!