Lamb koftas make me think of two things; delicious family meals out at local barbecue restaurants and weaning. READ MORE
Lamb koftas & beetroot hummus
Navigation
Lamb koftas make me think of two things; delicious family meals out at local barbecue restaurants and weaning. READ MORE
Today I offer you pork casserole with sweet apple. This time we’re using specially selected pork to make for a super tender dish. And we’re not using just any old apples; we’re using Bramley apples. The sweetness of the apples combined with the succulent pork makes for a really special pork casserole that’s so hands off it’s easy to forget it’s in the oven. READ MORE
Bake Off is back! So here’s a little recipe that starts us all off slowly. I’m not talking about ease of recipe, oh no (though these are very easy indeed), I’m talking about calorifically. Look, we’ve got weeks ahead of us. We need to pace ourselves. So I’m starting with refined sugar free tropical breakfast bars that I made for a Whitworths workshop.
This is a low refined sugar bar packed full of oats, a little like a flapjack, with a totally tropical taste. A great way to start the day without lots of unnecessary added refined sugar. These freeze well too, so make a batch, store away in your freezer and defrost one overnight ready for breakfast at home or on the go.
Pink, pink, pink. What do we think of pink? I remember loving my one posh pink dress as a child. It had a fairytale hill scene appliqued on the front in pink gingham. But the pink dress was for best. Pink was special.
And in my early adulthood, when I was flying the feminist flag highest, pink was a colour I hated. I raged at the army of pink aimed at little girls; pink domestic drudgery toys, pink dress up uniforms for lower paid jobs than the boys, pink clothed Barbie’s with pneumatic breasts and corset tortured waspish waists. If you’d have asked me, I’d have said pink stinks. READ MORE
I made these to be sold at the school sports day. We’re raising money. Well, we’re always raising money aren’t we? It’s what Mums do. READ MORE
I wish I were one of those women who stopped eating when under stress. You know the type – those who eat like a bird, pick at a few carrots. They have snake hips and a slightly worried expression all the time. They talk about their ‘nerves’ a lot.
I am not that woman. READ MORE
It’s half term, by today (it being Wednesday) the kids are probably starting to itch for something parent-inspired to do. I say put that Prittstick away! Save that jigsaw for tomorrow and instead get them making their own (and your) dinner. These three recipes provide lots of short term concentration span activities. There’s breaking an egg, there’s crumbling feta cheese, there’s measuring out herbs, there’s scrunching and shaping koftas. No time to get bored, oh no.
Then in the 20 minutes they take to cook there’s shredding (with supervision) vegetables, mixing up coleslaw and blitzing hummus. If your kids are anything like mine they love the opportunity to press the buttons of grown up kitchen equipment. Obviously, watch them like hawks. I know I don’t need to say that but I feel duty bound, in a Mum like fashion.
You can watch the recipe being made on ITV’s This Morning by clicking here.
I struggled with what to call these. Sugar free flapjack? Refined sugar free flapjack? Baby flapjack? Or just plain old flapjack? I went for weaning flapjack in the end, but frankly anyone can enjoy these whether they’re 6 months old of 106 years old.
Manage your expectations though if you’re a sugar addict. These are not syrupy sweet like regular flapjack. But they’re still delicious.
Lots of great recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, The Works, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
One year ago: Florentine quiche and Flourless chocolate cake and Cadbury Creme Mini Egg chocolate flapjackand School fair rocky road
Two year ago: White chocolate & cranberry hot cross buns and Cadbury creme egg mess and Banoffee pecan mini pavs
Three years ago: Easter Apostles scone loaf and Carrot cake in a cup for Mother’s Day and Cranberry oaty biscuits
Four years ago: Mini chocolate birds nests and Puff pastry and Walnut bread
Weaning flapjacks
Makes about 16, but depends how large you cut them
Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 2 and pop the kettle on. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm tin.
Peel the banana and break into pieces. Place in a jug with the dates and boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes and in the meantime chop the figs and apricots into 1/2 cm chunks using scissors. Use a stick blender to blitz the banana mixture to a fine purée, being careful not to spray yourself with boiling water.
Combine the puree, oats and chopped fruit in a bowl until well mixed then press into the prepared tin. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are starting to brown and the top feel firm. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack then cut with a very sharp knife once cool. Store in a tin for up to 5 days. Freeze, well wrapped for up to a month. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Hands up who likes Christmas pudding? Mine is firmly up. I love the stuff. But not everyone does. For some it’s just a step too far after all the goose fat, carbs and sprouts. This is a great alternative to Xmas pud which masquerades as… you guessed it – Christmas pudding! Keeps for 2 weeks after making as long as stored in a cool, dark place. A bloom may develop after a week but this does not affect the flavour.
I made a lovely video with the Scoff folks to show off how to make this pudding. You can see the vid on my YouTube channel and also the Scoff one. You can watch it below too.
Lots of great recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
Last December: My slow cooker beef bourguignon pie and Crumble topped mince pies and a very ugly but delicious cranberry & raspberry traybake
Two years ago: Mini Yorkshire pudding canapes and Christmas pudding fizz and Brandy butter icing and Rudolf morsels
Three years ago: Lime meringue pie with chocolate pastry and Christmas scones and Ginger cake with Christmas cottage and Hot chocolate on a stick
Four years ago: Moonuts and Cheese biscuits and Parsnip soup and Inauthentic chicken tagine
Tiffin Christmas pudding
Makes 1 x 2 pint pudding
Ingredients:
Place the sultanas and brandy into a small pan and heat on low until the brandy absorbs, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Melt the butter, maple syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange zest and chocolate in a bowl in the microwave until completely molten. Add the biscuits, cherries, hazelnuts and brandied sultanas. Stir well.
Take a 2 pint pudding bowl and line with clingfilm. Pour the mixture into it and pat down well. Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge to set for a few hours or overnight.
Remove from the pudding bowl (dip briefly in hot water in another bowl if it won’t come out) and remove the clingfilm. Place on a serving plate and decorate with melted white chocolate (allow to re-solidify before pouring) and holly.
Merry Christmas!
Holly Bell 