Chicken & Leek Pie

Pastry OR you can just use one sheet of ready rolled puff pastry

• 150g flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 110g margarine (flaked) at room temperature
• 40 mls cold water (approx. 3 Tbsp)
• flour, for working the pastry

Mix the flour & salt together. 

Remove roughly 1/3 of the flour mix and add the cold water.

To the remaining flour, add the flaked margarine & rub to form crumbs (I used a fork & it worked fine).

Knead the 2 mixtures together to form a smooth pastry & chill in the fridge for approx. 45 mins.

Filling

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 medium hot cooked chicken (or cook a couple of chicken breasts & shred)
• 2 leeks, sliced into rings
• 350g mushrooms, sliced
• 200ml cream (I didn't add this)
• 300 ml creme fraiche
• I also added 2 heaped tsp wholeseed mustard
• salt & lemon pepper

Heat the butter in a pan, add leeks & soften, then add mushrooms & cook (approx. 10 mins total).

When all cooked add creme fraiche, whole seed mustard & heat gently.

Add to an oven-proof pie dish. 

Whisk an egg yolk with 2 Tbsp water & brush around the edge of the dish.

Roll out the chilled pastry to size of pie dish.
Place on top of dish & press down firmly at edge.

Wash the pastry lightly with egg wash & make a few small slits.

Bake until the pastry golden brown at 220oC or (200oC Fan bake).

Roast Vegetable Quiche

Preheat oven to 180oC

Ready rolled shortcrust pastry; partially thawed
1/2 small butternut pumpkin, peeled, cubed chunky
1 large red capiscum, thickly sliced
 1 large red onion, cubed chunky
2 large zucchini/courgettes, cubed chunky
Olive oil cooking spray
Thyme leaves
Salt & Pepper

EGG MIX - Mix well in seperate bowl.
6 eggs
3/4 cup cream
3/4 cup finely grated parmesean cheese
Salt & pepper (season well - maybe even add some garlic salt)

Lightly grease large loose bottomed flan dish.
Cover with thawed pastry sheets, leaving some overhanging edges (tidy up before baking). Prick with a fork.
Sprinkle cut & cubed veges  evenly over pastry base.
Pour over egg mix & bake for 45mins at 180-200oC fan-forced oven until pastry golden & vegies cooked & tender & egg mix has risen. Sprinkle with fresh thyme sprigs ~ 5 bmins before end of cooking time.Serve warm or cold.

Fiona's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the recipe of a former work colleague & those of us that have tried them say they're the best - chewy with big hunks of chocolate - scrummy :)

• 1 block kingsize energy chocolate (or a dark chocolate) 
• 1 cup sugar 2 tsp baking powder 
• 4 Tbsp condensed milk (unsweetened preferably)
• 8 oz (200g) butter
• 2 cup flour 
• 1/4 tsp salt 

1. Chop chocolate. 
2. Cream butter, sugar & condensed milk. 
3. Mix in flour etc (add a little more flour if too wet). 
4. Add chocolate chunks last & mix.
5. Place small spoonfuls on baking paper on a tray & slightly flatten with a fork. 

Bake 12-15 mins at 350oF (180oC).

Quick self crusting quiche

This was passed onto me by my past supervisor "Mrs P" and is perfect when you want quick & easy!

4 eggs
1/2 cup flour
4oz melted butter
2 cup milk
1/4 tsp baking powder

Beat all together & then add:

1 small tin tuna (or salmon)
1 small sliced onion (I prefer red or a few spring onions chopped)
chopped parsley
1/4 cup grated cheese

Bake at 350oF for 40 minutes

Blueberry and Apricot Upside-down Cake

This recipe comes from Annabelle White's Best Recipes - this is one of my favourite cook books as everything is easy but sensational. This is an easy cake & is so light & tasty!

Topping: 

50g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 400g can apricots, drained
1 punnet blueberries

Melt butter on low heat and sprinkle brown sugar on top, leave for a few minutes on low. Remove from heat. pour into your cake tin and arrange fruits.

NOTE: You can use any assortment of fruit & nuts.

Batter:

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
125g soft butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add vanilla essence, then eggs one at a time. Beat well.
3. Add buttermilk, mix.
4. Sift in dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Pour over fruit evenly.
6. Bake 350oC for 40-45 minutes until the top springs back.
7. Run knife around the side immediately - turn over with plate

Helen's ice cream birthday cake

Helen Williams another fabulous SU! demonstrator has just made the cutest cake for her son's birthday - it's a homemade ice cream cake with frozen cream. I love ice-cream birthday cakes! She kindly has shared the recipe & some fabulous pictures of the Stargate cake (another one of my favourite TV shows).

So do go check it out in it's glory - you can see the post HERE.

Recipe:
Whip 500ml of cream, fold in tin of condensed milk then fold in 2 king sized Crunches crushed with rolling pin. Put in to silicone mould and freeze.

You can put in any filling, I have sometimes put in marshmallows, block of chocolate broken into pieces.

Anabel's lemon cordial

wow this was one of my favourite Christmas gifts - homemade lemon cordial & it tasted sensational.

• 4 cups (1 litre) water
• 5 cups sugar
• 4 lemons (rind & juice)
• 5 tsp citric acid
• 3 tsp tartaric acid
• 3 tsp epsom salts

1. Bring water, sugar & finely grated lemon rind to the boil.
2. Stir to dissolve sugar.
3. Remove from heat & add other ingredients. Stirring well until acids & epsom salts dissolve.
4. Allow to cool & then pour into glass jars.
5. To serve dilute with hot or cold water.