Corn Fritters

Ingredients:
300g frozen sweetcorn kernels, thawed
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
150g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons lime juice
Grated rind of 2 limes

Method
1. Beat all ingredients together in a bowl
2. Fry spoonfuls in batches for 2-3 minutes until cooked - drain and serve.

Status
Something else to try!

Tuna Meatballs

Ingredients - Tomato Sauce:
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon oregano
800g chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Red wine vinegar


Ingredients - Meatballs:
400g tuna
55g pine nuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon oregano
100g stale breadcrumbs
55g grated parmesan
2 eggs
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method
1. Make the sauce - fry onion and garlic until soft, add oregano, tomatoes, salt and pepper and bring to the boil - simmer for 15 minutes, then liquidise until smooth - season with red wine vinegar
2. Dice the tuna, and fry with the pinenuts and cinnamon, season lightly with salt and pepper - allow to cool for 5 minutes
3. Add oregano, breadcrumbs, parmesan, eggs, lemon zest and juice and mix together -divide the mixture and squeeze into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball - if the mixture is a bit sticky add more breadcrumbs - chill for an hour
4. Fry meatballs gently until golden brown all over, add to the tomato sauce and serve with pasta

Status
Again haven't tried this yet, but looks nice!

Cherry and Cranberry Christmas Cake

Ingredients
360 g Sultanas
270 g Raisins
180 g Cranberries
200 g Glace cherries
90 g Pecan nuts
150 ml Brandy
6 tbsp Cherry liqueur
225 g Butter
225 g Soft brown sugar
2 tbsp Cherry jam
4 beaten Eggs
300 g Plain flour
2 tsp Mixed spice
1 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Method
1. Soak fruit and nuts in brandy and cherry liqueur overnight.
2. Beat together butter and sugar.
3. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a cake tin lined with a double thickness of greaseproof paper - wrap in another double thickness of greaseproof paper, rising 10cm above top of tin.
4. Bake at 150C/300F on a low shelf for 1 hour - cover and bake for a further 3.5 hours till done.
5. Wrap in 2 thicknesses of foil to cool.
6. 'Feed' with brandy / cherry liqueur in the run up to Christmas.
7. Spread with cherry jam to attach marzipan, and ice.

Status 
My version of Christmas Cake (never did like the whole candied peel thing) - made this for the last couple of years or so and it always works well - helps to have a Rayburn!

Toffee Apple Pudding

Ingredients
85g butter , melted
140g self-raising flour
100g golden caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
200ml milk
1 egg , beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Bramley apples (or other cooking) apples, peeled, cored and sliced

For the Topping:

140g dark brown sugar

250ml boiling water
50g pecans, roughly chopped

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease a 2-litre/3½-pint ovenproof dish lightly with butter.

2. Tip the flour, sugar and baking powder, along with a pinch of salt, into a large bowl. 

3. Mix together the milk, butter, egg and vanilla extract and stir into the dry ingredients until you get a smooth batter. 

4. Arrange the apples in the dish, spoon the batter on top and smooth with a knife until the apples are covered.
5. For the topping, pour 250ml boiling water over the sugar and stir together until smooth. 

6. Pour the liquid over the pudding mixture (Be Brave!), then scatter over the pecans. 

7. Bake for about 40 mins until the pudding has risen and is golden. 

8. Use a big spoon to serve the pudding, making sure you get some of the gooey caramel sauce covering the bottom of the dish. Serve with pouring cream, warm custard or vanilla ice cream.

Status

Made this a couple of times - always get very nervous at the topping stage - but it does work, and is absolutely heavenly.  Like it served with greek yoghurt.

Have also made a rhubarb version - uses about 550g chopped rhubarb - same sponge recipe, but with 2 tsp ginger instead of the vanilla extract - for the topping half white half brown sugar, but only 150ml boiling water (to allow for the rhubarb juice).  Works well.

Plum Pudding Cake

Ingredients
250g/8oz plain flour
1 lightly heaped tsp baking powder
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 lightly heaped tsp ground cinnamon
1 lightly heaped tsp ground ginger
200g/7oz golden syrup
2 heaped tbsp thick honey
125g/4oz butter
125g/4oz light muscovado sugar
350g/12oz plums
2 large eggs

240ml/8fl oz milk

For the spicy plum jam topping
5 plums
1tbsp light muscovardo sugar
1tbsp butter
1tbsp syrup from a jar of stem ginger

Method
1. Set the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Use baking parchment to line a 24cm/9½in square cake tin or baking dish.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger into a bowl.
3. Warm the golden syrup, honey and butter very gently in a pan until the butter and sugar melts. Stir in the muscovardo sugar. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
4. Halve the plums, or cut them into quarters if they are very large, and remove the stones.
5. Break the eggs into a bowl, pour in the milk and whisk lightly to mix.
6. Pour the golden syrup mixture into the flour and mix with a large, metal spoon. Pour in the egg and milk and continue stirring till you have a loose, almost sloppy batter without any traces of flour.
7. Tip the mixture into the lined cake tin, drop in the plums and bake for 30-35 minutes.
8. Now for the topping; halve and de-stone the plums and add to the same pan as you cooked the syrup and honey. Add the sugar, butter and the syrup from a jar of crystallised ginger. Cover and leave to cook down.
9. Serve the cake with a generous topping of the spicy plums and a dollop of cream.

Status

Another untried Nigel Slater recipe which looked yummy!

Mountain Bread

Ingredients
450g Wholegrain flour
300g Semolina
2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1 1/4 tablespoons Garlic (crushed)
1/2 teaspoon Chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
2 Egg yolks (beaten)
50g Sunflower seeds
25g Poppy seeds


Method
1. Preheat oven to 220C / 425F
2. Mix together dry ingredients - gradually add 450ml warm water until a dough forms and knead well.
3. Break dough into 8 pieces and roll out to 3mm  thick strips - cut each strip into 4 - place dough on greased baking sheets and brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with seeds.
4. Bake for c. 15 minutes or until golden - remove and leave to cool.  Store in airtight container.


Status
Thinning out the recipe books on the shelf - this looked interesting and is GI diet compliant.

Per 2 slices: 190 kcal; 4g fat; 0.5g sat fat; 38g carbohydrate

Sweet Onions with Lentil Stew

Ingredients
a good handful, chopped unsmoked bacon or pancetta
4 medium sized onions
3 small carrots (or parsnip)
½ tsp mild paprika
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ nutmeg, for grating
300g/10oz Puy lentils
500ml/1pint stock
a handful parsley
knob of butter
100g/4oz creme fraiche

Method
1. Cook the bacon or pancetta in a deep pan over a moderate heat to let the fat slowly ooze out .
2. Roughly chop two of the onions and add them to the pan.
3. Cut the carrots / parsnips into chunks and add to the pan.
4. Cover and let it steam for a few minutes. Add the paprika, cinnamon, then grate in ½ of the nutmeg. Add the lentils, stock and 500ml water, cover and leave for 30 minutes until the lentils have softened.
5. While that is slowly cooking, slice the remaining two onions and, in another pan, cook them very slowly in butter until golden brown. Finish with a grate of nutmeg.
6. The last thing to add to the lentils is a handful of chopped parsley. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche and pile the caramelised onions on top.

Status
I've been watching Nigel Slater on the telly - looked lovely - must try!